


Instantaneous

by Desertpoet



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, NCIS
Genre: First Time, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-04 18:21:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14598963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desertpoet/pseuds/Desertpoet
Summary: When Tony DiNozzo meets Tony Stark sparks fly.





	Instantaneous

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Art for "Instantaneous" by desertpoet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14569680) by [penumbria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/penumbria/pseuds/penumbria). 



> This is written for the 2018 NCIS Reverse Bang  
> Special Thanks to Penumbria for the beautiful pieces of art she created for this story and for inspiring me.
> 
> The art can be found here https://archiveofourown.org/works/14569680
> 
> Thanks to Bazdazbog, Jilly James, Lady Ra and Susan for all there alpha and beta help. This story wouldn't have been nearly as good without all their help.

 

 

Somalia, September 2009

Tony DiNozzo felt like shit. While the plan had included being captured, he had not planned on being pumped full of homemade truth serum. His heart was racing, his vision was a little blurry, and at the moment there was no way he was fighting his way out of here.

Tony did his best to focus on the situation at hand, but the truth serum he’d been given was making it hard to concentrate. They’d already been through one round of questions, mostly involving Tony being sarcastic and Saleem threatening him with imminent violence. He was pleased he didn’t have Saleem’s attention at the moment, though he knew it was only a matter of time.

At least he had eyes on Ziva. She was sitting in front of him, looking exhausted and like she’d been severely beaten, but she was more or less intact. He was determined not to let her out of his sight until she was safely in custody. She wasn’t going to get away again. Ziva was going to pay for what she had done.

Tony knew SHIELD was monitoring the situation, having insisted on helping capture Ziva. An operation had been significantly compromised by Ziva’s spying, so they were determined to get her into custody. SecNav had insisted that NCIS have a presence on the mission as well, and Tony had been happy to assist. He'd managed to give the agreed upon signal just before Saleem's goons had captured him and Natasha Romanov.

Right now Natasha Romanov was keeping all of Saleem’s attention on her, and he was monologuing in true supervillain style. He didn’t even realize that he was playing right into her hands. She was an interrogation specialist, and she was beyond impressive. Saleem was leaning into Natasha, proud as a peacock, and babbling away like there was no tomorrow. No doubt he thought he was impressing her with his cleverness. Tony had a strong urge to crack a highly inappropriate joke, but he knew better than to draw attention to himself. They just needed to hang on a few minutes longer.

A SHIELD team was waiting a few klicks out, ready to storm the compound. They'd hoped Tony and his team would be clear before they tried to take Saleem down. Gibbs had simply wanted to shoot Saleem, but he had been overruled. SHIELD wanted to bring in Saleem for interrogation; Phil believed he could have some valuable intel.

Natasha was speaking quietly to Saleem, and he must not have liked what she said because he slapped her in reaction. “You should show me proper respect,” he shouted at her, and pointed his gun at her head.

“Hey now, didn’t anyone ever tell you it isn’t polite to strike a lady?” Tony didn’t think before he spoke, drawing Saleem’s attention to him instead. He imagined Natasha was giving him a death glare. He was pretty sure he’d hear about his stupid macho behavior from her later, but he couldn’t sit here and do nothing if Natasha was in danger of being hurt.

“I think I’ve heard quite enough from you already, Agent DiNozzo,” Saleem sneered. “Perhaps you have not yet learned your lesson.” He put a gun to Tony’s forehead, and they stared at one another for a long expectant moment. Tony almost forgot to breathe.

 Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and a great deal of screaming could be heard, accompanied by what sounded like a couple of explosions. Saleem turned away from Tony and moved toward the door, calling out for one of his minions on the way.

A hole was blasted in the exterior wall, dispersing glass and debris and knocking Tony and Ziva backward. He remained conscious even though he hit the ground hard, the chair breaking on impact. Scrambling to his feet, he knew he’d feel that later.

“God damn it, Stark,” Natasha said, and she was pissed “What are you doing here? You interrupted my interrogation. That asshole was giving us everything we needed to shut his whole network down. Who invited you here anyway?”

“Sorry Agent Romanov,” a deep voice said. “Normally I wouldn’t interrupt a SHIELD op, but I noticed your back up is currently engaged in a firefight, and I thought you might need some help. I am sorry if anyone is hurt. I didn’t expect the hole to be quite that big. The construction isn’t worth shit.” Tony looked up and saw fucking Iron Man hovering in the big hole where the outside wall used to be.

Natasha scoffed as Tony turned to look at her. The room was a little blurry around the edges. He tried to blink it away and focus on the task at hand. Thank goodness Natasha was far more alert.

She was on her feet and already securing Saleem. Taking advantage of their target's distraction, Natasha had somehow freed herself, and she had Saleem’s hand behind his back, her arm wrapped around his neck. He was struggling furiously, but she held him easily. “Stop it,” she demanded harshly. “Or I’ll just knock you out instead. I have orders to bring you in alive, but no one said anything about conscious.”

Stark was standing over them, his hand held out in a threatening manner. Once Saleem was secured, Natasha untied Tony’s wrists. Tony heard a noise; Ziva was trying to get away. She had gotten free and was moving toward the door. Tony quickly made his way toward her. He grabbed her arm, and she shook him off. Tony sighed internally. He wasn’t in the mood for a fight. He held on, and before Ziva could break out of his hold Stark was beside them. He grabbed Ziva’s other arm and with his help Tony was able to secure her hands behind her back.

Just then three men with guns came rushing into the room, but Stark took care of them easily. Tony bent down and took their weapons.

“Thanks for the help,” he told Stark. “Hold on to her for a second.” Stark complied while Tony retrieved the rope he had been bound with and tied her hands behind her back. “Any word on our team?” he asked Stark.

Iron Man lifted his visor, and Tony Stark said, “Well hello there, gorgeous. It’s no trouble. According to Jarvis your back up is on its way. The hostiles outside the compound have all been neutralized, and everyone is safe. I’ve also destroyed all the weapons, in case you were thinking of trying to steal them which would have been very naughty.” He shook a large red metal finger at them, and Tony snorted in response, reluctantly amused.

Stark tilted his head as if he were listening to something no one else could hear. He nodded. “Thanks, Jarvis.” He turned back to Tony. “Two more terrorists headed this way. Jarvis says they’re the last two; three others have run away rather than face us.” Stark looked delighted by this.

Shoving Saleem toward Stark, Natasha indicated Saleem and Ziva. “Watch them,” she addressed Stark, who nodded. She stepped out the door, and Tony followed quickly behind. He didn’t have to do much, though. He pointed his weapon toward one of the men while Natasha incapacitated the others easily. Tony watched her in admiration. She was really something. Tony had always had a thing for strong women, but much to his surprise, he found his eyes straying to Stark instead.

Tony was definitely starting to get woozy now. He became aware that his head was pounding. He hoped he wasn’t about to pass out. 

Tony turned to Ziva. She was watching him defiantly, and her eyes were cold as ice. Tony was surprised to realize it didn’t bother him at all. He let the truth pour out. “I trusted you,” he told her calmly. “I don’t think I can ever forgive you for betraying the team the way you did, but I am glad you aren’t dead, Ziva. I hope you have to live with your choices for a long time.” He had the satisfaction of seeing her wince. The room spun a little and Tony found himself swaying, but he didn’t fall.

“Hey, careful,” a voice said. Suddenly, Stark was standing next to him, holding him up. “You need me to carry you?” Stark asked. He was looking at Tony in concern. He had beautiful eyes.

Stark’s eyes widened. “Ah thanks, you look pretty good yourself, even bleeding and covered in grime.”

It was then that Tony realized he’d said that out loud. Damn truth serum. Or maybe he’d hit his head harder than he thought. That would explain it. Why couldn’t he have kept his mouth shut? The world was going dark around the edges now. “Ah, Stark I’m feeling pretty woozy.”

As if from far away he heard Stark say, “Don’t worry. I got you. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Tony felt strangely reassured by that. He leaned on Stark as they left the room. At least he hadn’t passed out; hopefully that meant he didn’t have a concussion. He couldn’t wait to get home.

***

Tony woke up slowly, but he felt surprisingly lucid as he opened his eyes. He looked around and it took him a moment to realize where he was: in a big room reminiscent of hospitals everywhere. White, white, oh and look, more white. The smell of antiseptic hung heavy in the air. The only differences were the futuristic looking machine in the wall behind him that appeared to be monitoring his vitals, and the hospital door, which was made of glass and looked like it would slide aside automatically. Tony assumed he was in a SHIELD facility of some kind. He looked over to see Phil Coulson sitting in a chair beside his bed, working intently on a tablet. Tony was sure it had a lot more bells and whistles than the Stark tablet that was currently commercially available. He and Phil met three years ago at a law Enforcement conference, and had clicked immediately.

“Hi,” Tony said, causing Phil to look up with a smile. “Is everything okay?”

“Hey, kid, glad to see you’re finally awake.” Phil reached out and took Tony’s hand, giving it a squeeze before letting go. “Yes, things are fine. We got Saleem and David. They have been moved to a secure location.”

Tony sighed in relief. He tried to sit up, and Phil reached out, pressing a button that made the bed rise up behind Tony. He ignored the nickname. Phil liked to call him kid even though he was only a few years older than Tony. Tony mostly liked it, although he would never admit that to Phil. 

“How’s Natasha doing? She was amazing by the way. She saved me and Ziva by keeping most of Saleem’s attention on her.”

Phil grinned. “I’ll let her know you said so. She’s doing fine and as usual, her interrogation yielded excellent results.”

Tony grinned. “I’ll bet, thank her for me will you?”

Phil patted his hand. “I will, kid. I’m glad everything worked out. I was a bit worried for a while there when we couldn’t get to you as quickly as we wanted.”

“I’ll admit it didn’t look good for a while, but here I am. To be honest, I was kind of relieved when Tony Stark of all people busted in.”

Phil snorted, “The man is a menace. He had no business sticking his nose into SHIELD's operation..”

“How did he find us anyway?”

“I haven’t had a chance to debrief him yet, not that I expect him to cooperate, but I suspect he’s found a way to monitor our communications.”

Tony grinned. Somehow that didn’t surprise him. Stark’s entrance had been something. “I’m honestly glad he showed up when he did. I’d had just about enough of Saleem’s bullshit. I’m surprised I don’t feel worse though. What’s the damage?”

Phil sighed. “Why am I not surprised you’re impressed by Stark’s antics? I don’t want to hear anymore, my blood pressure is high as it is.”

Tony shrugged. “I’ve always thought he was kind of sexy, but I have to admit experiencing him in person was amusing, even if I was kind of out of it.”

Phil rolled his eyes and ignored Tony’s comment. “You’re dehydrated and have lots of cuts and bruises, but miraculously you seem to be intact otherwise. Luckily, you don’t have a concussion. Since you got pumped full of an unknown drug we took some blood, and we’re going to monitor you overnight at the very least to make sure it’s cleared your system. Sorry, but we don't dare give you any pain meds until we know exactly what that truth serum is doing to you.”

Tony nodded. The doctor had explained this to him when he’d first arrived. He felt totally fine now, just sore and extremely tired, but he wasn’t going to argue. He didn’t like the idea of staying in the hospital, but it was a reasonable precaution to take. “I’m sore, but it’s nothing I can’t handle,” he promised. “Where are we anyway?”

Phil nodded. “Good. You’re at a SHIELD base in Kenya. It was the closest medical facility we have. David is asking to see you. I’ve told her you aren’t available right now, but you can see her tomorrow if you want.”

Seeing Tony’s frown Phil added, seriously, “You don’t have to. You don’t owe her anything.”

Tony shrugged. He didn’t want to see Ziva again. He remembered talking to her earlier, and he was glad he’d been honest with her. “I’m good, I don’t want to see her, and frankly I couldn’t give two fucks about what she wants,” he said firmly. “You can tell her I said that.”

Phil looked very pleased. “I’m glad to hear it.” His expression turned serious again. “Still planning on leaving NCIS?” he asked.

Tony nodded, “I put in my official resignation right before we left. It’s for the best.”

Phil nodded, and he gave Tony one of his rare full watt smiles. “Good. What happened in Israel was complete bullshit. If you’d decided to stay, I would have kicked your ass. You know there’s always a job open for you here. SHIELD could use a man with your skills. Have you given any thought to my offer?”

Tony nodded. “I have. I’m a cop. I like investigating, it’s what I’m good at, but I’ve been thinking a change might do me good. Honestly, Phil, I don’t completely trust SHIELD, but I do trust you. I’d like to accept your offer to be a analyst on a case by case basis. I will not become a full agent.”

Phil squeezed his shoulder. “That works for me, though I am a little disappointed. You’d make a stellar agent. You have plenty of transferable skills, and you know it. A lot of our time is spent putting disparate information into a coherent picture, something you excel at, but still, I’ll take what I can get.”

Tony grinned at him in response. “Good. I need to work out my last two weeks, and then if it’s okay I’d like to take some vacation time before I start.”

Phil looked pleased. “That’s fine. You can start in a month. I’ll have all the papers ready. Anyway, I have to get back to work, but I’ll come see you again before you leave.” Phil reached out, and this time he squeezed Tony’s shoulder.

“I’d like that. Thanks for everything Phil. You’re a good friend.”

Tony was content with his decision. He’d been reluctant to work for SHIELD, but the decision felt right. He didn’t trust SHIELD, but the work sounded interesting. Tony had always been good at seeing patterns. He liked the idea that his work as an analyst might help protect people.

Phil turned to leave, but then he turned back. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He tapped a few keys on the tablet and then handed it to Tony. “. There are some movies and books on there, and you can access the internet. That’s it. Do not try to crack the password on the encrypted files. I’m serious. I know how dangerous you get when you’re bored.”

Tony grinned, “I make no promises.”

Just as Phil was leaving, Stark walked into the room wearing sunglasses and a Metallica t-shirt. The sunglasses were working for him. When Stark turned a smile on him, Tony’s heart sped up and he had to resist the urge to reach out and touch him. The strength of his attraction surprised him, but he found he didn’t mind. He hoped it was mutual.

Stark turned to Phil and widened his eyes, putting his hand over his arc reactor dramatically. “Ah, Agent, I’m a little hurt. I thought you only ever told me to stay out of trouble in that tone. I thought we had something special.” Stark pouted.

Tony couldn’t help it, he laughed. Phil turned to glare at him. “Please, don’t encourage him,” he said, sounding put upon.

Stark grinned at him and blew him a kiss. “Please, gorgeous, you can encourage me all you want.” Stark’s voice was sexy. It flowed over Tony, making him shiver. Tony hadn’t been in a position to notice before.

Tony looked Stark up and down blatantly. “I bet you say that to all the guys you rescue.”

“I can honestly say I do not, Agent Junior. You’re definitely the exception.” Stark threw himself into the chair Phil had just vacated. He tapped his foot, seeming to have a hard time staying still.

Agent Junior? What the hell? Seriously, why were people always giving him nicknames? He raised an eyebrow at Stark. “Agent Junior?” He looked at Phil askance.

Phil sighed and rubbed his temples. “He calls me Agent. He’s saying you’re like me. It’s an insult. Stark doesn’t have any respect for rules, and he doesn’t usually respect people who do. I have to go.” He pointed at Stark, “Do not rile him up too much.” He walked out without waiting for a response.

Tony couldn’t keep the huge smile off his face. “Thanks. Seriously, that is a huge compliment. Phil is a hell of an Agent, and he’s taught me a lot.”

Stark looked momentarily stunned. He opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it, looking down at his phone. Score one for Tony. He got the feeling Tony Stark was rarely surprised or struck silent. Tony was good at reading people, and he guessed Stark liked Phil more than he let on. Despite their sniping, there didn’t seem to be any real animosity between them.

Stark seemed to be getting lost in whatever he was doing so Tony decided to give him a few minutes before interrupting.

Stark looked up after a little while, giving Tony a small smile. “Sorry, I’m having a problem with some fuel calculations for a new suit. Sometimes I get distracted. Pepper is always telling me I need to pay attention, but frankly, my work is more interesting than most people.”

This was said in a matter of fact tone. Stark sounded incredibly arrogant, and maybe it should have put him off, but truthfully Tony was sympathetic. Tony understood what he meant. It must be difficult to be a genius, always the smartest person in a room full of people who had no hope of keeping up.

Stark continued, oblivious to Tony’s thoughts. “Anyway, I just wanted to check on you before I left. It’s lucky I was nearby checking out a rumor about my weapons being used to terrorize innocent people. I hate when my weapons fall into the hands of terrorists. That guy who abducted you and your SHIELD buddies is a real piece of work. I’ve made sure that no one will be using those weapons to kill anyone again.” Stark looked very pleased with himself.

Tony understood why, but suddenly he was a little annoyed. Stark had interfered in an op today, without any fear of consequences. Yes, he’d been helpful, but someone could have gotten hurt.

“Look, I’m incredibly grateful to you. Your timing was perfect, but do you honestly think interfering was the best choice? You could have hurt someone.”

Stark frowned back. “Hey, I was careful. Jarvis was constantly monitoring the situation, and anyway if Fury weren’t so stubborn about rules and protocols he’d be asking for my help more often.”

Tony sighed. He didn’t like this side of Stark. “You shouldn’t have interfered in a SHIELD operation the way you did. It was dumb. I appreciate your impulse to help, but you should have let someone know you were coming at the very least.”

Stark stood up and started pacing. “You’re sounding more and more like Agent by the minute. I’m a superhero, not a civilian.”

Tony sighed. “I’m not saying you don’t have valuable skills. Your suits are remarkable pieces of engineering. Your inventions are incredible. I’m aware you handle threats that traditional law enforcement can’t, but there are things you should leave to us, and terrorism is one of them. We are better equipped, and ops like this are planned very carefully.” Superheroes were undeniably cool, but they had no business getting involved in something like this. Tony felt very strongly about that.

The conversation had taken on a slightly surreal feeling. He couldn’t believe he was arguing with Tony Stark, what had happened to his life? He couldn’t deny he was enjoying himself. It was certainly more exciting than watching a movie.

Stark looked upset, a stubborn tilt to his jaw. “Look, I stay out of most SHIELD ops, but those that involve my weapons are fair game. I cannot allow my weapons to fall into terrorist hands, and to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of SHIELD having them either. I saw the damage my weapons can do first hand, and I will not allow my work to continue hurting innocent people.”

Stark’s eyes held a world of pain, but there was also a fire in them. He was extremely passionate about this, and Tony realized he was not going to change his mind. He respected Stark’s need to protect people, similar to his own.

"Besides I only interfered today because I thought your team needed my help."

Tony sighed. “Okay, fair enough. I won’t apologize, but I didn’t mean to upset you. Just be more careful okay? I don’t want you getting hurt either. I am truly grateful you were there today. I probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.” He tried not to think about the gun that had been pointed at his head.

Stark looked slightly mollified and weirdly surprised again. Tony didn’t know what to make of it. Surely others had shown concern for his safety? “Thanks for the concern, but I can take care of myself.” Stark’s tone brooked no argument.

Tony decided to change the subject. “What were you working on?”

Stark grinned widely, clearly happy to talk about his work, and he sat back down in the chair Phil had vacated. “I’m trying to increase the efficiency of my energy usage by at least twenty percent. I want to increase the speed of my suits, preferably without blowing myself up.”

“Can I see? I’m pretty good at math.”

Stark stared at him, clearly disbelieving. “Sure, if you’re interested. It might be over your head though, no offense. I can explain it to you,” he said quickly while handing Tony his tablet.

Tony held up one hand. “Give me a minute. I’ll let you know if I need help.” He looked over the math. It took him a few minutes, but then he saw the problem. He fixed the part of the equation that was wrong, and then handed the tablet back. “That should do it, I think.” Stark was sitting very close to him. He’d only have to reach out to brush their fingers together, and he was hit by a sudden urge to do just that. What was it about Tony Stark that he found so alluring?

After a moment of hesitation, Stark took his pad back with an indulgent expression. He was clearly just humoring Tony. He looked over the math, and then he looked back at Tony. “You fixed it,” he said disbelievingly. “How did you do that?”

Tony shrugged, but he was enjoying the poleaxed expression on Stark’s face. “I may not understand exactly what you’re trying to do, but I know math, and you made a simple mistake. Right there,” he pointed to one part of the equation. “It was an easy fix."

Stark was looking at him like he’d never seen him before. “I’m impressed. For the record, I didn’t make this mistake, one of my engineering minions did.” He looked over Tony’s math. “This is much better. It’s such a simple solution I can’t believe I didn’t see it. I would have seen it, of course. I’ve been a little distracted. Or else Jarvis would have.”

Stark was staring at Tony speculatively. “You have an impressive ability with numbers. It’s a crime you aren’t doing something with it. If you have a degree, you should come work for me.”

Tony smiled, very pleased he’d managed to impress Stark, but he had no real passion for math, despite the fact that it had always come easily to him. He had a minor in math from Ohio State, and he had taken some introductory to engineering and physics classes which he’d enjoyed, but he was nowhere near Stark’s level. He didn’t know much about the kind of work Tony Stark did. “Sorry, don’t have one. Who’s Jarvis?” he asked curiously. Tony voice had been full of affection when he’d mentioned him.

Stark actually looked disappointed. “Oh, he’s my A.I. I built him myself,” he added proudly.

Tony couldn’t believe his ears. “You have a real working A.I?” he asked excitedly. “That’s incredible. How did you get him to think for himself? Does he learn?”

Stark bounced in his chair. “Hey, yeah he does. I wanted him to be able to learn and grow without too much interference from me. I’m pretty proud of him.”

“That’s amazing,” Tony said sincerely. “As a kid, I always wanted a droid of my own.”

Stark eyes widened, “So did I.” They grinned at each other in understanding.

“Jarvis doesn’t have a body. I’ve offered to make him one, but he thinks it would be too confining. I can’t blame him for that. He has access to almost all the information there is. I do have other bots, but they aren’t as sophisticated.”

“Really? That’s so cool. How did I not know this? I had to build a robot once for a college engineering class, it was a lot of fun. I’m honestly jealous. Do you have pictures? I’d love to see them.” Tony knew he was babbling a bit, but he couldn’t help it. He’d always been a bit of a sci-fi nerd, a fact he was careful to keep hidden from his co-workers.

Stark laughed, looking delighted. It flowed over Tony, making him feel tingly. He instantly wanted to hear it again. “I don’t have any with me. I like to keep the bots private for the most part.”

Tony shrugged, “That’s okay. I understand. I was being kind of nosy, but I’m interested.”

“No, no. I like that you’re interested. Maybe we can work something out.” Then Stark’s eyes widened and he bounced a little. “Hey, would you like to meet him? I don’t get to show him off nearly enough to people who actually appreciate them properly. He can always use more practice interacting with people who aren’t me. He can be a bit surly and sarcastic sometimes. Pepper says he learned it from me.”

Tony laughed, “Like father like son?” he asked. Was Stark truly inviting him over, just like that? Tony was surprised how much he liked the idea. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed talking to someone this much. He didn’t want it to end. Tony mentally reined himself in, reminding himself they’d only just met. It was sound advice, but the excitement Tony was feeling didn’t abate in the least.

He realized Stark was still waiting for an answer. He decided to be truthful. “I’d actually like that. If you’re serious, I’ll try to find time to take you up on your offer.”

Stark's smile lit up his whole face, and once again Tony was struck by how attractive he was.

“Awesome. I can even show you the suits.”

Tony grinned. “The suit is pretty cool, I’ll admit. I would love to go flying some time.”

Stark stood and handed Tony a card, their fingers brushing. “Great, it’s a date then. Let me know when you’re available, and we’ll pick a day.” Stark gave him a wave, and just like that he was gone.

A date. Tony didn’t think the other man was serious about that, and he couldn’t deny he was a little disappointed by the thought. Stark had seemed interested though, so maybe if things went well, there would be a date in the future. The thought made butterflies flutter in his stomach. Tony carefully put the card on the nightstand before picking up the pad Phil had left him. It was going to be a long night.

***

Tony sat back on his couch, drinking a glass of wine and flipping through the channels on TV. His resignation from NCIS was official as of yesterday. He’d stayed to help Gibbs wrap up some paperwork because he knew Gibbs was going to have a tough time until he found a new SFA. McGee just wasn’t ready to take on the position yet. He’d expected to have to work out the rest of his two weeks, but Vance had told him he didn’t have to come back. It had been a relief to hear, and Tony felt like he could finally breathe. He’d never realized how tense he’d been until he’d left the Naval Yard for the last time.

SHIELD had taken Ziva into custody, and outside of a possible trial Tony knew he’d never see her again. He was relieved to know she’d pay for her crimes, but he also felt saddened to know their friendship had come to such a terrible end.

His mind turned to Tony Stark, as it had often done over the last few days. Tony was comfortable with his bisexuality, but it had been a long time since he’d been attracted to another man this intensely. He wondered if Stark had been serious about his invitation. The idea made his heart speed up, but part of Tony thought he shouldn’t accept. Tony Stark was constantly in the spotlight; being with him meant inevitable media attention. Even if they kept things quiet at first, it wouldn’t last forever. That definitely meant no more undercover work, for one thing.

It probably won’t even be an issue, Tony thought. Stark probably hadn’t been serious. Tony decided not to worry about it anymore. If he heard from Stark he’d decide what to do then. Decision made, he had settled in to watch North by Northwest when his doorbell rang.

He was surprised to find a delivery man carrying a beautiful bouquet of a dozen red roses. Tony stared for a long moment. What the hell? “Tony DiNozzo?” 

“That’s me.”

“Delivery for you.”

“Thanks,” Tony said and took the beautiful crystal vase from the boy’s hands. The discreet tag  told him that the roses had come from the most expensive flower shop in D.C.

“Let me give you a tip,” he said. He set the flowers down on the table next to the door and reached for his wallet, but the man shook his head. ”It’s already been taken care of, sir. Have a good night.”

Tony thanked him again and closed the door. Somewhat bemused, he set the roses on the coffee table and reached for the little white envelope that had come with them.

Opening the card, he was surprised to see a handwritten note.

Agent Junior,

I really enjoyed rescuing you, and I want you to know I was serious about our date. I’d love to show you my workshop any time. Call me and we can set something up.

T.S.

Tony was charmed; there was no other word for it. Tony traced the initials with one finger as he leaned in and smelled the roses. They were beautiful. He could honestly say no one had ever given him flowers before. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Apparently Stark was interested in seeing him again.

At the bottom of the note Stark had included a phone number. Tony still had some misgivings, but if he was truly honest with himself, he had to admit he wanted to see Stark again. He wanted to know where this attraction led. Surely one date couldn’t hurt.

***

Tony drove up to the gates outside Tony Stark’s Malibu mansion. The Aston Martin he was driving was incredible; it was beautiful and drove like a dream. He’d been expecting Stark to pick him up at the airport, but instead he'd sent a car and driver.  Offered the chance to drive himself, Tony hadn’t been able to pass it up. Stark’s house was an ideal location because they had agreed to keep their dates private. For now, Tony was glad to stay out of Stark’s spotlight. The house was perched on the edge of a cliff. It was very dramatic and suited its owner very well. He’d seen pictures of it in magazines, but they hadn’t really done the house justice. He had to admit he was a bit envious that Tony Stark got to wake up here every morning.

Breathing in deeply, he took a moment to make sure he had a handle on his nerves. The thought of seeing Stark again left him feeling a little light headed.

Tony hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. Finally, after a few days, he’d given in to his desire and picked up his phone. When he'd called the number Stark had given him, he was surprised, and genuinely thrilled, when his A.I. had answered. A real A.I.! Tony didn’t think he would ever get over how awesome that was.

Now he was finally here. He rolled down his window, but before he could press the call button at the gate, a disembodied voice addressed him. “Good Afternoon, Agent DiNozzo. Sir has instructed me to bid you welcome. Please park your car at the end of the driveway, and he will meet you in front of the house.”

It was pretty good to be Tony DiNozzo right now. “Thanks, Jarvis.”

“You’re welcome. If I may say, sir has been looking forward to your arrival.” Jarvis replied, and he honestly sounded as if he meant it.

Tony felt a rush of warmth at the idea. Doing as instructed, he walked up to the door and it opened; Stark was standing in the doorway. Tony felt his breath stutter a little as he got a good look at him.. The man was dressed in a Black Sabbath t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans that hugged his body in all the right places. There was a smudge of grease on his cheek. The arc reactor glowed from his chest visibly despite the sunny day.

He came forward, holding out his hand for Tony to shake. Stark’s warm hand closed around his own, and Tony could have sworn he felt his fingers tingling. Much to his surprise, Stark pulled him into a brief hug, which after a moment Tony reciprocated. He could feel the arc reactor pressing into his chest; it was an odd sensation, but it didn’t stop his enjoyment of being close to Stark. The hug lingered perhaps a few seconds longer than normal, but Tony didn’t mind.

“Well, you said I could come and play in your workshop. How could I resist an offer like that? I mean you have robots, and flying armor.”

Stark grinned widely, “See, you get it. This is why I like you. I don’t care what anyone says, my suits may have weapons, but that is not their primary function. I use them for defense. You know, most people want to get close to me for my fame or my suits. Even my best friend tried to steal a suit from me and demand that I keep making weapons for the military. But you, you're excited about some old robots I built when I was just a kid, and I find that far more charming than I should. Weird, but charming.”

“Thanks, though I hope you like more than just that.” He looked at Stark from under his lashes and smiled.

Stark returned it. “I like everything I see,” he confirmed. His eyes were hot with appreciation.

Tony grinned at him, “Good. I feel the same. Now that we’ve established that, I’ve always liked science. I may not be a genius, but I did well in all my science classes in college. Science is just solving puzzles, in a way.”

Stark’s smile softened. “You like solving puzzles. So do I. I’m glad we have so much more in common than I first thought. Follow me, Agent Junior, the workshop awaits.” Stark turned and walked toward the house, with Tony beside him, their shoulders brushing together.

They entered the house. “You’ve already met Jarvis. If you need anything you while you're here, you can ask him, and he’ll get it for you. He runs every system in the house, lights and security, both inside and out. He’ll even run the shower. He’ll set it to any temperature you request.”

Tony ignored the mention of the shower for the moment. “Good to know. Does he cook too?” Tony asked teasingly.

“Not yet, but he could learn. I’d have to set up a system to carry items from the refrigerator to the stove. Hmm.” Tony’s voice trailed off, and he was clearly already planning.

“That sounds kind of like Doc Brown’s lab in Back to the Future.”

Stark scoffed, “Oh please, anything that I set up would be a hundred times better than anything that movie had. Besides which, the science in the film was atrocious. The car was cool, even if it was a crappy choice for a time machine.”

Tony nodded, “It was a great choice for the time though. DeLoreans were one of the hottest cars available.”

“I guess. Still, I’m sure I could come up with something better. In fact, Jarvis, start two files, one labeled time machine and the other automated kitchen project.” Stark shrugged.

Tony grinned and patted Stark on the shoulder. “I was only teasing, you know.”

“I caution against this action. I don’t fancy the idea of possibly setting the kitchen on fire.” Jarvis chimed in.

“Like I would let that happen. My designs almost always do what they’re supposed to,” Stark said.

“With all due respect sir, your plans blow up with distressing frequency. I urge you not to risk it until I’ve had adequate time to prepare.” Jarvis sounded exasperated but fond.

“I get no respect around here,” Stark groused. “Jarvis, remind me to reprogram your personality matrix.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll add it to the calendar,” Jarvis said dryly. Tony laughed in response.

“Jarvis, I think you are amazing, even if you can’t cook,” he promised.

“Thank you very much, Agent DiNozzo. And may I say I like you as well.”

Stark was grinning, “Aww, I love it when people appreciate my babies. Also, Jarvis is an excellent judge of character. I’m not surprised he likes you.”

Tony nodded. “I take that as a compliment,” he said seriously. “So you going to show me your workshop?” Stark leaned closer into his space again, and their gazes locked for a long moment, heat crackling between them. Tony figured they were on the same page. He felt a rush of anticipation as Stark brushed his fingers down Tony’s cheek.

“Right this way,” Stark rested his hand on Tony’s back and led them down the hall. The touch seemed to burn right through Tony’s t-shirt.

Stark gave him a quick tour. He pointed out the kitchen and the living room.In the kitchen, he got them both coffees that were to die for. The kitchen looked pristine, like it had never been used, but Tony was envious. It had a professional stove and two ovens. It would be a joy to cook in.

Tony thought the house was extremely appealing. The style was modern but comfortable. The best part was the view. Tony hoped he’d get another chance to enjoy it.

When Tony commented on it, Stark said the best view was actually from the bedroom, which completely derailed Tony’s thoughts for a moment. He pictured Stark pushing him down on the bed, and his breath quickened a little. He hoped he’d get to see it, and soon.

Finally, they made their way down a long flight of stairs and Tony got his first glimpse of the workshop. All thoughts of getting Stark naked were immediately forgotten. He couldn’t wait to get inside. The doors were made of glass, and the lights were low so Tony couldn’t see much. Stark walked over to the door, and a numbered keypad appeared.. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, and Tony ignored the urge to ask a dozen questions about how it worked.

As the door slid open the light came on, and Stark gestured for Tony to precede him inside.

“I have two robots, Dum-E, and U. U isn’t very comfortable around strangers so don’t be bothered if he ignores you at first,” Stark explained.

As soon as they entered a robot that looked like a large arm on wheels rolled over to Stark, beeping excitedly. The robot held up his hand and Stark gave it a high five.

“Yes, hello you useless bag of bolts. I was just down here a few minutes ago. There is no need for this.” Tony could hear the affection in the other man’s voice, despite the harsh words.

Stark turned to Tony, “This is Dum-E. He’s the first bot I ever made. I was only seventeen at the time. He’s pretty useless but I like to keep him around anyway to remind me what mistakes not to repeat.”

Tony didn’t buy that for a second, but he didn’t bother to call Stark on the obvious lie, instead turning his attention to Dum-E. “Hi, Dum-E! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Tony.” The bot beeped excitedly again, and held out his hand. Tony happily gave him a high five.

Stark grinned at him, “He doesn’t usually take to people this fast. He hasn't actually been exposed to that many people, mostly just Pepper and Rhodey. He recognized my name though. I think he likes that we have the same first name."

Tony returned the smile. “Dum-E is awesome. I feel a little like a broken record, but so far I think all your A.I.s are something special. I can’t believe you were only seventeen when you built him.”

Stark looked pleased. “I’m glad you like him. Don’t tell U, but he’s my favorite. Jarvis is far more advanced but Dum-E learns in his own way. He needs a lot of practice before he learns a new skill. He is really good at making smoothies though. He also starts the occasional fire.”

Dum-E put his head down as if in shame. Poor thing. “That’s okay buddy. I’m sure your smoothies are delicious, and fires can happen to anyone. I have it on good authority they happen to your creator all the time,” Tony patted Dum-E ’s arm gently in sympathy.

“Hey,” Stark said indignantly. “You’re going to give him a swelled head. He already does whatever he wants. Don’t make it worse. “

Dum-E beeped happily and spun in a circle before rolling off, and Tony watched him go with interest. He came back a few seconds later with a screwdriver. He held it out to Tony, who took it from him then looked at Stark in bemusement.

Stark looked annoyed again. “He wants to help you build something, just ignore him. Though hey, if you’re interested, I can show you the plan I have for him and some of the improvements I’ve made.”

“I’d love that,” Tony said sincerely.

He took the screwdriver from Tony, their fingers brushing. Stark set the tool on a nearby table and Dum-E immediately picked it up and took it away. Stark gestured toward the sofa in one corner of the room. They made their way over to it and sat down.

“So there’s something I want to talk to you about,” Stark said. He gave Tony a blindingly bright smile.

“If we’re going to be spending time together then we have to come up with a new name for you because the Tony squared thing isn’t working for me. Too confusing. You understand, right? Someone says Tony, and we both turn around, and then one of us might get punched by accident.”

Tony laughed. The idea was kind of ridiculous. He was sure Stark knew it. “Does that happen often?”

Stark shrugged, “It happens more than you’d think.” Stark looked at him expectantly, and Tony could only stare in disbelief. Stark was serious. Sure, having the same name was a little weird, but why did he have to be the one to take a nickname? He hated the damn things.

“You want to change my name?” he asked calmly. The man was gorgeous, and so far Tony genuinely liked him, but this was a step too far. If anyone was going to get punched here, it was Stark.

Stark grinned at him. He leaned closer to Tony so their legs were pressed together. Then he gave Tony an exaggerated leer. “Come on, it isn’t a big deal. I just thought having the same name might get confusing. How about Horatio? That has a nice ring to it. Classic.” Horatio. Despite his annoyance, Tony could admit the situation was funny. “Ah, how about no,” Tony said firmly. No way was he answering to Horatio.

Stark shrugged “Don’t like that, okay. How about Dante, that’s Italian. Oh hey, what's your middle name?” he continued, not even giving Tony time to respond to his absurd suggestion. Come on. Dante – it was terrible!

“Never mind what my middle name is. I won’t answer to it.” Tony hated his middle name. He’d only ever heard it when he’d been in trouble, particularly when he’d disappointed his father. Senior would always say his full name when he was especially furious.

Tony leaned back, taking a moment to think. It was possible Stark had a point. He couldn’t keep calling Stark by his last name forever. If they became lovers, it would be far too weird. He could see that Stark might have a point, although he wasn’t going to admit it to him. He suspected Stark’s ego was more than big enough for both of them already.

Regardless, Stark was being kind of an asshole right now, but on him, it was strangely charming. Tony thought he was definitely in trouble. The truth was that so far there was very little about the man he didn’t like.

“You’re no fun. I have to admit I expected more, Agent Junior.” Stark’s tone was teasing, and his eyes were sparkling with amusement.

Tony didn’t bother to dignify that with a response, but he did have to fight a grin, and he didn’t move away.

Stark gave Tony a big smile. He looked up at Jarvis and asked “What’s Agent DiNozzo’s middle name?”

“Accessing,” Jarvis said calmly. “According to his birth certificate, his middle name is Dominic, sir.”

“Hey that’s cheating,” Tony protested somewhat weakly. “Though I should have expected it. That’s illegal. Don’t go nosing around in people’s private documents. I could arrest you for that.” He was careful to keep his tone light despite the threat. He was mostly kidding, after all.

Stark waggled his eyebrows. “Oh, that has definite possibilities. I wouldn’t be opposed to you getting out your handcuffs every now and then.”

Tony took a deep breath as his stomach tightened. “I could get behind that,” he admitted.

Stark grinned and leaned forward, brushing his lips against Tony’s. “We’ll have to keep that in mind then.” His voice was husky.

Tony smiled at him. “Agreed. Do I really need a nickname?” he asked. He was suddenly more willing to negotiate.

Stark nodded, “You do, Agent Junior. Come on. I’ll tell you my middle name, it’s Edward. I’ve always hated it, is that better?”

Tony grinned at that. Suddenly this was getting unexpectedly fun. The opening was too easy. “Can I call you Eddie?”

Stark took a step back, hands flailing around, and then he pointed at Tony. “You did not just quote Pretty Woman to me!” he exclaimed, but his mouth was twitching with amusement. “I knew I liked you.”

Tony relaxed at Stark’s reaction. He could work with this. Tony could tell a lot by people’s reactions to his movie quotes, and Stark’s reaction was definitely a good one. Maybe Tony could forgive him his penchant for terrible nicknames.

“The feeling is definitely mutual. Even if I was willing to give some consideration to changing my name, I wouldn’t want to go by Dominic.”

Stark was nodding enthusiastically. “Oh hey, that’s okay. I totally get it. Look, I’d let you give me a nickname, but I’m kind of famous, and it would be hard to explain it."

Tony sighed exasperatedly, “Has anyone ever told you you’re kind of an asshole?”

Stark waved that away, “All the time. Hence the punching, but something tells me that you don’t mind it.” He rested his hand on Tony’s shoulder for a long moment. Their eyes met and held as they stared at one another.

Stark looked up toward the ceiling. “Jay do me a favor and pull up a list of the most popular names for boys born in the 1970’s.”

“Working,” Jarvis said. “I’m pulling up the list now.”

A screen lit up, and a list of names appeared in the air, right in front of Tony. “Whoa,” he said in surprise.

Stark smirked at his reaction, and Tony found it very attractive in spite of himself, damn it.

“Impressive isn’t it? Jarvis can project almost anywhere in the lab,” Stark continued proudly. “So, stay with me here. How do you feel about Michael, Christopher, or Andrew? Andrew is a good name, I’ve always liked it.”

“Andrew, really? It’s not even close to my name. If you aren’t even going to try…” Tony let his voice trail off.

Stark grinned, “Okay, how about something more romantic. Honey bear or sweetie pie. Oh, sweetie pie is a good one.” Somehow Stark was still keeping a straight face.

Tony just shook his head. Stark was grinning widely now. “Lamb chop?” he offered.

Tony chuckled. “That makes me think of the puppet. If you ever want to get laid you won’t say that again.”

Stark held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay definitely not that one.” He put his arm around Tony’s shoulders and gently stroked the back of his neck.

Stark thought for a moment, “How about sweetheart?” he asked, his voice deepening. His gaze locked on Tony. Tony could see the desire in his eyes, and he felt his own desire rising in response. Stark smiled at him suggestively.

“I like that one, but I’ll only answer to it in bed,” Tony leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

Stark shivered and kissed the side of Tony’s neck. “That’s good to know,” he said huskily. A beeping sound interrupted them, and Stark apologized as he got up to check one of his computers. Tony stifled a protest. They had plenty of time.

Tony followed him and leaned back against the workbench watching Stark. He was definitely enjoying himself now. “I’ve decided I’m definitely going to call you sexy pants.”

Stark chuckled and turned to look at him. “Unsurprisingly, I will answer to that. It’s only the truth, after all.”

There was another beeping noise. “Jarvis?” Stark asked.

“The prototype is complete, sir, and ready for your final go ahead.”

Stark gestured toward the screen. “I just need to take a quick look at this, if that’s okay.”

Tony nodded. “Sure, I don’t mind.”

Stark looked down at the large table in front of him. He moved his hands and suddenly a life-size version of the arc reactor appeared in front of him. Tony watched, fascinated, as Stark manipulated it.

Stark picked up a tool and began fiddling with something that looked like part of an iron man suit. He explained the basics to Tony as he worked, but seemed to forget Tony was there after a few moments, as he concentrated on his task.

Some people might be bothered by being ignored in the middle of a conversation, but Tony found he enjoyed watching Stark work. It was strangely compelling, but then again he always found competence attractive. Stark was clearly in his element in the workshop. He wondered what it would be like to have the right to put his arms around Stark and coax him away with a kiss. He felt a rush of desire wash over him.

He heard a rolling sound and then Dum-E was next to him, holding out a green smoothie. It looked disgusting, but he didn’t want to hurt the robot’s feelings. According to Stark, he was a learning system. “Hey, buddy. Did you make this for me?” In response, Dum-E held out the cup again. Tony took it. “Thanks, Dum-E.” The contents of the cup were green and black. “What the hell?” It smelled like rotting food. Tony stifled the urge to gag, and he tried to keep a smile on his face for Dum-E ’s sake.

Jarvis spoke, “You don’t want to drink that Agent DiNozzo. I’m sorry, he normally makes smoothies for Sir without any trouble, but he threw rotten fruit into the blender before I could stop him. Sometimes he fails to recognize the difference, I’m afraid."

“That’s okay, Jarvis. I know he meant well. It’s honestly fun just to get to see the bots in action.”

Luckily, job done, the bot had rolled away to clean the work bench. Tony watched for a few minutes in amusement as Dum-E dropped more things than he put away. “Dum-E,” Stark called out. “If you try to poison our guest again, I’m going to take you apart and send you to a scrap heap.” The words were loud, but there was no heat behind them. Stark ordered Dum-E to go help U in his task instead and Dum-E seemed happy enough to comply. “AJ, look at this.”

“AJ?” Tony asked, rolling his eyes. It was mostly for show, though. He didn’t mind it too much. He figured he could live with AJ for the time being. It was the best option by far. He leaned down to look at what Stark was working on. Tony showed him the wiring design that would make the new suit more efficient.

Jarvis chose that moment to interject. “If I may say, Agent DiNozzo, you should be glad that sir has given you such a modest nickname. His nicknames tend to be far more ostentatious, and he often doesn’t take a person’s feelings into account.”

“Hey, Jarvis you traitor! I give awesome nicknames, and people love them.” Stark winked at Tony.

“Thank you, Jarvis. That’s good to know,” Tony said, highly amused by the byplay between Jarvis and his creator.

“I guess I can handle AJ, but if I get a nickname then so do you. I don’t care how famous you are. Because I have to be honest, I’ve been having trouble thinking of you as Tony. I’ve been calling you in as Stark in my head.”

Stark made a face as he put his tools down. He leaned back against the workbench, and their hips touched. AJ shifted his legs so their legs were touching too. “Well, we can’t have that. I guess fair is fair. What kind of nickname were you thinking?”

“Taking my feelings into account, huh? I guess I should feel special.” AJ said teasingly. “I was thinking maybe honey or baby?”

Stark’s eyes lit up. “I thought we’d decided on Sexy Pants.” His eyes met AJ’s and they shared a heated look.

“I was looking for something a little more intimate,” AJ murmured. “Not to mention something I can say without laughing.”

Tony chuckled but his eyes were darkening with desire. “Come here.” Tony pulled him closer and gave him a long slow kiss. “You can call me whatever you want in bed,” he purred.

“Good to know,” AJ said. He took a moment to catch his breath.

“I wanted to show you the other changes I’m making to my latest suit,” Tony said, turning back to the screen. AJ grinned, knowing he was being teased. He didn’t mind drawing this out a little more.

He proceeded to do just that. AJ was intrigued by the schematics, and paid close attention. Then he showed AJ how to manipulate the holographic interface, which was a hell of a lot of fun. After that, he moved on to a prototype of a prosthetic he was making for amputees. He’d met a few veterans who had lost limbs in battle, and they’d all complained of the constant discomfort of their prosthetics. Tony was designing a version that hopefully wouldn’t chafe, and would be more like real limbs.

Tony talked non stop for a good hour, but AJ wasn’t bored. Tony was utterly incredible. His passion for his work was catching. He was going to make a difference in so many people’s lives, and AJ felt privileged to see his plans in person.

They were standing close together, heat radiating off Tony’s body. AJ moved slightly until their sides were pressed together.

Tony grinned widely. “You still with me? You kind of spaced out for a second. I can ramble about my projects.”

AJ made himself focus. “Absolutely, this is wonderful. I know you’re going to make a difference in many people’s lives.” Tony Stark was a good man. AJ was glad he’d gotten to see it first-hand.

Tony actually flushed a little with pleasure. “I love doing work like this. I want to make people’s lives better. I was the merchant of death for so long. I need to make up for that. No one seems to get that. People are more interested in the suits or in why I stopped making weapons. You wouldn’t believe how many people waste time trying to convince me to start again. It’s why I avoid my board of directors at all costs.”

AJ laughed. He imagined that Tony had the board wrapped around his finger. He definitely did what he wanted. From the sound of it he didn’t need to consult anyone else, except maybe Pepper Potts. “Most people are idiots,” he said firmly. He was happy to see Tony smile at that. “You don’t have anything to make up for, but the work you’re doing to make the world a better place is worthwhile no matter what anyone says. What matters most is that you do what makes you happy.”

“Thanks,” he said simply, but sincerely. Tony leaned his head on AJ’s shoulder.

“That said, I’m not going to lie. The suits are incredible. You get to fly under your own power. That will never stop being awesome.”

Tony leaned forward and whispered in AJ’s ear. “We can fix that. Maybe next time we get together I can take you flying.” Tony’s voice sent a shiver down AJ’s spine. “I will definitely be taking you up on that.” AJ stepped forward into Tony’s space, their bodies not quite touching. AJ could feel the heat radiating off the other man.

AJ decided he didn’t want to talk anymore. He leaned forward and kissed Tony full on the mouth. They were on the same page after all, so why wait. For a long moment Tony was frozen in surprise, but then he returned the kiss wholeheartedly. The kiss quickly grew intense. Tony kissed the way he did everything: with enthusiasm, skill, and focus. Heat rushed over him, and he pushed Tony back against the workbench as they came up for air.

His cock was showing interest in what was happening, and he pulled Tony closer against him. Tony kissed down his neck before returning to his mouth for another searing kiss. AJ felt as if he was being carried away by arousal, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He wanted this, and he wasn’t going to let himself over think it.

In between kisses Tony maneuvered them over to the sofa, and AJ let himself give into the passion that ignited between them. AJ got Tony’s shirt off before getting rid of his own.

AJ trailed kisses down his chest. Then he nipped little bites back up. Biting Tony’s nipple gently, AJ discovered much to his delight that Tony enjoyed having his nipples played with. AJ pulled back a little, smiling at Tony’s moan of protest. “Lift up,” he ordered. Tony did, and AJ lowered his jeans, freeing Tony’s cock.

He took it in his hand, rubbing the length slowly. Tony gasped. “Wait, you too,” he demanded, and AJ paused and waited for his lover pull his cock out too. AJ laid back down, pushing their bodies together, and then he aligned them so that their cocks rubbed together. They groaned in pleasure, and AJ could feel his orgasm building..

“More,” Tony pleaded. AJ leaned down to kiss him again, their tongues moving together as AJ reached between them and wrapped his hand around both their cocks, holding them loosely. He thrust his hips so that their cocks rubbed together. Tony’s cock was already hard and leaking precome. AJ knew that it wouldn’t be long now. He tightened his hand and rubbed their cocks together in quick hard pulls. The pleasure was building, setting his nerves on fire. He was close, so close. Then Tony reached out and covered AJ’s hand with his and rubbed his thumb over the tip of AJ's cock. Pleasure shot up his spine, and he came with a cry, collapsing against Tony. Tony thrust up one final time and came.

They lay together catching their breath. AJ realized he must be crushing Tony, and he moved, urging his lover to turn on his side so that they were spooning. Tony wrapped his arm around AJ’s waist and held him close for a couple of minutes. “That was amazing," Tony said quietly, and AJ turned his head, kissing his collarbone in response. He quickly fell asleep. AJ woke up lying next to Tony, curled up together on the couch, which wasn’t really big enough for two, so they were pressed closely together. The sex had been excellent. It had been a while for AJ and he was relaxed and sated in the best possible way.

Tony kissed his wrist. “Hey, did you have a good nap?”

“Sorry I just passed out on you. You wore me out.”

Tony chuckled affectionately. “I think we wore each other out. I actually slept for a while myself.” He sounded surprised.

AJ turned his head and brushed his lips against Tony’s, but he didn’t let the kiss deepen. Instead, he asked, "What time is it?"

Tony shrugged, “I have no idea. Jarvis?”

“It is 6:23 Pm, Sir. Would you like me to order some dinner for you and Agent DiNozzo?”

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. “Hungry?” Before AJ could answer his stomach rumbled. “I’ll take that as a yes. What do you feel like eating? Jarvis can get us almost anything.”

“I don't care, as long as it’s good. Why don’t you surprise me?”

“You heard the man Jarvis, surprise us.”

There was a momentary pause. “The order has been placed, sir. It will arrive in about 45 minutes.”

“Excellent,” Tony said with a grin. ”We have some time then.” He tugged a little on AJ’s waist. AJ turned his face toward Tony’s and was immediately rewarded with a passionate kiss. He let himself relax into it. He couldn’t think of a better way to kill some time than this.

An hour later they found themselves sitting on the floor, resting against the couch, as they shared bits of Chinese food off of their chopsticks and talked.

“You know I’ve never had sex on this couch before. I think I’ve been missing out.”

AJ raised an eyebrow in surprise at that. "Never? I wouldn’t have expected you to bring just anyone down here, but I can’t be the only person who’s expressed interest in your workshop.”

Tony nodded, “Oh there were tons of people angling for a visit, but I could tell it was more out of curiosity or hoping to gain something from me. The thought of letting those people into my workshop made my skin crawl.”

AJ could understand that. “Well I’m honored to be the first then.”

Tony nodded, and pointed his chopstick at him. “As you should be, sweetheart.”

“Hey, what did I say about that?” AJ reached out and tweaked one of Tony’s nipples in retaliation.

Tony shrugged, “Well, we did have sex down here. I think it counts. In fact I think we should have sex down here a lot in the future. Maybe over the workbench too.”

AJ liked the sound of that. There will be plenty of time later, he told himself. “Sounds good. Though I would like to get to a real bed eventually. Plus I want to see that view you promised me.”

“Okay, we can leave the bench for another day.“

“I’m counting on it,” AJ assured him. Tony grinned and gazed at him warmly Tony wrapped his arm around AJ's waist and drew him closer so that they were leaning against each other. AJ thought he could get used to the easy intimacy between them. It had been a long time since he’d had fun like this.

"Excellent. I know it won't be easy for you to come to me with your work but with the suit, I can be in D.C in about three hours." He waved his chopstick around for emphasis.

“That sounds like a plan, except I might not be in D.C. much longer. I’ve left my current position at NCIS. I don’t work there anymore. I’m going to be working for SHIELD as an analyst.”

“I can meet you anywhere, and I have three jets we can take shameless advantage of. Though if you can get a job close by that would be awesome.” Then Tony frowned, “I don’t completely trust SHIELD.”

AJ shrugged. “Neither do I, but I trust Phil. That’s enough for now. I know he has my best interests at heart. I don’t intend this job to be forever. It seemed like a nice change.”

Tony nodded in acceptance, but his arms tightened around AJ. “Just be careful.”

AJ leaned forward and brushed his lips against Tony's. His concern was sweet. “I will, but I promise I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can, but I’ll be here for you if you need help.”

“I know you will. Thanks.” Having Tony in his corner definitely wasn’t a bad thing.

Tony stood up and held out his hand to AJ. “Now that we’ve settled that, there’s something I want to show you. A new project I’m working on, something to help police and other law enforcement personnel in dangerous situations. I’d love your input. I think it could have wider applications as well, in the future.”

AJ chuckled and leaned against Tony’s shoulder. “I’d be happy to,” he said. It sounded just right.

***

The next morning AJ woke up in Tony’s bed. He wasn’t surprised to find himself alone, the sheets cold to the touch. The other side of the bed did look like it had been slept in though, so he knew his lover had been in bed at some point. Tony had told him he didn't sleep much. Tony had a coffee maker set up in his room, which didn’t surprise AJ at all. He made himself a cup, and sat enjoying the breathtaking view of the ocean before getting dressed and then making his way downstairs. He wondered if his lover was in his workshop or if he’d gone out.

“Jarvis, where is Tony?” he asked. “Have I lost him to one of his projects?”

“Sir was up most of the night working. He is currently sleeping in the workshop.”

“Thanks, Jarvis. Should I meet him down there?”

“I have woken sir. He says he’ll be up in a few minutes. He was very focused on his current project for most of the night.” Jarvis sounded apologetic. “He asks that you start eating without him.”

AJ smiled. “Tell him not to worry. I can entertain myself for a little while.”

It was Monday but AJ didn’t have anywhere to be until tomorrow. He’d booked a hotel and if things had gone sideways with Tony, he’d planned to retreat to it and do some sightseeing today. He was pleased that it wasn’t going to be necessary.

“Agent DiNozzo, sir wishes me to tell you that there is a selection of pastries and coffee in the kitchen as well as a gift for you. Sir says he hopes you like it.” Somehow Jarvis managed to convey with just his voice that AJ better like it.

AJ smiled softly to himself and walked into the kitchen, brimming with interest. On the table was a large package wrapped in gold paper with a big red bow. Iron man colors, “of course,” AJ said as a feeling of fondness rushed over him.

He ripped the paper off and gasped when he saw what was inside. It was a miniature version of Dum-E. His hands shook slightly as he set it on the table. The detail was remarkable.

"This is incredible. Please let me know when Tony is available so I can thank him."

“Sir requested I tell you the on switch is on the left side toward the bottom.”

AJ looked up at the ceiling. “You mean it works?” he asked, startled.

“Sir asks that I quote him directly. He says ‘What do you take me for, AJ?”

AJ burst out laughing. “Of course, what was I thinking?”

AJ held the small Dum-E in his hands. He was deeply touched by Tony's thoughtfulness.

“This is amazing. No one has ever made me a gift before. I think I might be in a little over my head. He makes me laugh, Jarvis, and he pays attention to me. I’ve never had a connection with anyone like this before. The scariest part is I’m rapidly getting used to it.” Talking to Jarvis was surprisingly easy.

“Well then, why not enjoy it? No one knows what the future will bring. I believe you should take things one day at a time and see how things progress.”

When Jarvis put it like that it seemed simple “Thank you, Jarvis. That’s excellent advice.”

He turned back to his gift. It was perfect. AJ flipped the switch and little Dum-E began beeping and rolling around. It almost rolled off the table, it was going so fast, but AJ managed to catch it. As he settled his robot safely back on the table little Dum-E held up its hand, offering a high five.

“So what do you think?” Tony said from behind him.

AJ turned to see Tony leaning casually in the doorway. “It's incredible. I can’t believe you stayed up all night to make it. Thank you.” AJ crooked a finger toward Tony. “Come here, you.” Tony instantly obeyed. He wrapped his arms around AJ from behind and AJ leaned back against his chest. At the sight of Tony, little Dum-E went slightly crazy. They watched the little bot spin around and make happy beeping noises at them.

“It's adorable. Thank you.” AJ said. He was going to have to find a way to reciprocate.

“I’m glad you like it,” Tony said softly. “I got the idea last night, and I knew I needed to give it to you as soon as possible.”

AJ leaned back in his lover’s arms, content for the moment to stay where he was. It was pretty good to be Tony DiNozzo right now. He was free of NCIS, he’d be starting an interesting new job in a few days, and he was dating Tony Stark. A whole new chapter of his life was starting. AJ didn't know where he and Tony were going long-term. Still, he resolved not to worry and just enjoy himself for the time being. They'd made an excellent start, and for now, that was enough. The future would take care of itself.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoyed writing this. However, writing two characters with the same name is a huge pain just saying. I hope you enjoyed it.


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